Caracterização molecular do HTLV-1 em pacientes com paraparesia espástica tropical/mielopatia associada ao HTLV-1 em Belém, Pará Molecular characterization of HTLV-1 among patients with tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy in Belém, Pará

O presente estudo avaliou a ocorrência da infecção pelo HTLV-1 e seus subtipos em amostras de sangue de pacientes com diagnóstico clínico de paraparesia espástica tropical/mielopatia associada ao Htlv-1. A detecção da infecção pelo HTLV realizou-se através de testes sorológico e molecular. Cinco amostras estavam infectadas pelo HTLV-1 do subtipo Cosmopolita, subgrupo Transcontinental. Os resultados obtidos confirmam a ocorrência de infecção pelo HTLV-1 em pacientes com diagnóstico clínico de paraparesia espástica tropical/mielopatia associada ao Htlv-1em Belém, Pará.The present study evaluated the occurrence of HTLV-1 and its subtypes in blood samples of patients presenting symptoms of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy. The detection of HTLV infection was performed by serological and molecular assays. Five patients were infected by HTLV-1 of the Cosmopolitan subtype, subgroup Transcontinental. The results confirm the occurrence of HTLV-1 infection among patients with clinical diagnosis of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy in Belém, Pará.